Friday January 16, 2009
I’m always amused when people tell me I should write about plants you can’t kill. If someone doesn’t want to take care of plants, I don’t understand why they are growing them. But in all fairness, there are some black thumbs out there who can’t seem to keep a plant alive, despite all their best efforts. Most of the time they have killed their plants with kindness. Too much water, too much sun, too much food - all these things seem like a good idea when your plant is floundering and you feel helpless.
Pothos is such a wonderful plant because it can take enormous amounts of abuse. I have had cuttings that I tossed on top of my compost heap, in the heat of summer, after having let them sit exposed on my potting table for several days, take root and thrive. Another wonderful virtue of pothos is that it requires very little light, making it perfect for offices, apartments and dorm rooms. And it’s great at purifying indoor air. So pothos is our featured plant of the week. If you don’t already have one, walk by my compost heap and one will follow you home.
More on Houseplants:
Photo: Pothos ‘Marble Queen’ © Marie Iannotti (2009) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Thursday January 15, 2009
Jayphog wrote into the Forum: "My 5' tall blue spruce was recently decapitated. The top 2' was sheared off after a typical Kansas windstorm knocked a branch off a neighboring tree which landed square on the blue spruce. The bottom 3' of this otherwise healthy tree seem to be in good shape; is it possible for a new crown to develop from the scar? I love this tree and would like to see it survive- is their any way to save it? thanks..."
The consensus was that the tree was young enough to save, if he created a new central stem or leader and Jayphog sent in photos of his clever work around. Has this happened to you? What measures did you try and were you successful?
Photo Courtesy of About Gardening Forum Member, Jayphog.
Wednesday January 14, 2009
They say that as the gardening population ages, we’re looking for ways to make our gardens less labor intensive. Sounds good to me. I love the process of gardening, but I also love having time to sit and enjoy the fruits of my labor. A natural compromise that allows us to still have awe inspiring gardens, but with less fuss, is to incorporate more trees and shrubs; large plants that don’t require constant watering, weeding and deadheading.
Luckily breeders have been working overtime to come up with shrubs that provide more disease resistance and longer interest in the form of leaf shape, color, fruits, flowers, scent, bark and overall structure. In short, you don’t have to give up anything but effort. Take a look at the Top 10 Shrubs chosen by the folks at Spring Meadow Nursery who provide the ColorChoice and Proven Winner plants to your local nurseries.
Photo of My Monet™ Weigela Courtesy of Proven Winners
Tuesday January 13, 2009
I have always been a pretty finicky eater and I’m a nightmare to cook for, as my family and friends will attest. Part of my problem was growing up in a meat and potatoes world when all I wanted was spiced up rice and vegetables. I started growing herbs at an early age, back when I was an oddity rather than avant guard. I’m glad herb gardening has caught on because it makes it easier to find plants and seeds and there’s so much wonderful variety.
I don’t know why more people don’t grow herbs, since they are virtually pest free and undemanding. Amy Jeanroy, our Guide to Herb Gardens, spells out the 10 most common herb garden mistakes and if you look down the list, it all boils down to common sense. Probably the most common mistake of all is not using your herbs. So many people are afraid to start pinching because they don’t want to kill their plants. The plants just get bigger and fuller. It’s tough love. So while you’re planning next year’s garden, make some room for a little mint or basil or lemon balm and treat them right. They’ll reward you all summer.
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2009) licensed to About.com, Inc.
